The Alternate Naruto Tales
by Titan of Saturn
Summary: A collection of Naruto crossover oneshots. Find out how the Naruto characters could have fit into any number of other anime universes. Revised. Chapter Five, Rurouni Kenshin: "Where is your Okashira, boy?" Aoshi asked from the shadow of the dojo's engawa
1. Bleach

_Urahara Kisuke calls in a favor from an old friend, and gets to meet his students._

* * *

The idea for this actually formed in response to a multitude of crossover ideas. I'm always coming up with ideas for Anime crossovers, Naruto specifically at the moment, with one or two scenes mapped out. But I just don't have the time or focus to write stories for them all. So I started writing one-shots to appease myself. Then this idea came. Why don't I post these one-shots in a collection? So here it is. Feel free to take one of my ideas here and run with them, but please _please _tell me about it if you do, whether by review or message or email, because most of the ideas here formed because I just wasn't seeing the crossovers or plots I wanted to. So if you build off any of these, or are inspired by any of these to do something similar or even in the same crossover, tell me! I want to read them. Also, if I've done some more extensive planning for the crossover universe than is allowed to be detailed in the story, or if there's random facts about stuff related that just didn't fit in the scene, I'll probably write a short explanation before or after the story. Or I'll leave you to ponder it and hope it sparks your imagination. )

Thanks, TS (DoC: 10/31/07)

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ or _Bleach_ and am not making any money by writing or posting this.

Rated for language and some violence.

* * *

Urahara smiled into his tea and then set it down. He almost thought his old friend wasn't going to answer his summons. But the man seemed to have pulled through for him, like always.

"It took you long enough to get here." Urahara told the man hidden in the shadows.

"There was this little old lady down the street who tripped and fell, and I was waylaid helping her get to the hospital." Urahara turned.

"Did it sound like I was accusing you of being late? I know better." Something flickered at the edge of Urahara's mind. "Who'd you bring along?" There was a pause, and the man in the shadow shifted.

"You just noticed him, didn't you? Either you're getting old and soft," He said in a disbelieving voice – Urahara snorted to show just what he thought of that, "or something big happened. I'd say it was the latter, considering the feel of your chakra. You're exhausted."

"Unauthorized portals into the Soul Society can do that to you." The pause that followed his words was cold with unspoken accusations. Then the man stepped out of the shadows and into the room proper. He was wearing a black cloth mask that covered his nose and mouth, a headband that fell over his left eye, and was wearing Soul Reaper robes with his Zanpakutô slung across his back. Silver hair stuck up and his one gray eye was obscured by a drooping eyelid.

"I suppose you're calling in my debt then, eh Captain?"

"Don't be silly Kakashi. I haven't been a Captain in a long time."

"Just as long as I haven't been Anbu, I suppose." Urahara smiled. They both knew that you never stopped being Anbu.

"Are you going to introduce me to your colleague, Kakashi? Or would you rather he didn't hear what I'm going to ask of you?"

"Is it something he shouldn't hear? Judging by your statement earlier, I'd say it was illegal."

"Of course not. I would never ask a patriot like you to go against the Soul Society."

"Then what are you asking?"

"That you cover my area while the Soul Reaper who usually does is away."

"Through an illegal portal into the Soul Society. Just what are you into now, Kisuke?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself about, unless you get a summons from the Soul Society. In which case I'd like to be informed." Kakashi stared at Urahara for a moment, calculating, before turning to the door of his shop.

"Naruto." A boy appeared in the doorway as summoned, younger than Ichigo by several years. He was blonde and wearing a bright orange shirt under his blue school uniform. His cheeks sported identical whisker shaped scars. "This is Urahara Kisuke, former Shinigami Captain. Urahara, meet my student, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruto, is it? Pleasure." Urahara said, smiling.

"You were a Captain? Do you have a Zanpakutô?" Naruto asked, apparently having no patience for formalities or pleasantries. Yes, just as Kisuke had heard.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Kakashi-sensei will only let me make swords that are empty and break every time I spar. He won't tell me how to make a real one. Even _Sasuke_ has a real Zanpakutô." Naruto paused and looked Urahara over with a shrewd glance. The he crouched down and cupped his hands around his mouth, as if that way Kakashi wouldn't be able to hear him. "Hey, will you teach me how to make one?" Urahara mimicked Naruto and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"If you have to ask," Kisuke whispered, "then no." Naruto pouted.

"How long will your Soul Reaper be gone?" Kakashi asked.

"No idea." Urahara said lightly. He stood and leaned on his cane to keep from wobbling in exhaustion. The little Junior Soul Reaper who wasn't even dead yet could probably take him out with one hit, the way he was now. "But you do this for me, and we're even. Deal?"

Kakashi paused, and then nodded his head. Something in Naruto's jacket beeped. The boy pulled out an orange cell phone and scowled at the display.

"Sasuke," he said to Kakashi. "Ten o'clock." A few moments later a ghost walked through the wall to Urahara's right. He had black hair, red eyes, no spirit chain, and what felt like a Zanpakutô at his hip. A very _odd_ ghost.

"Is something the matter, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked the spirit.

"Iruka isn't at his place." Naruto cursed and summoned his sword, body melting away into spectral form and clothes being replaced by traditional robes.

"Where's Sakura-chan? She can help us look."

"You know her," Sasuke said scornfully. "She's getting her beauty sleep."

"Hey! Don't talk about Sakura-chan like that!"

"Dobe, you're not supposed to defend her. You're supposed to hate her. She's a Quincy, you're a Shinigami. She hates you, though, so at least one of you has sense."

"Yeah, well, fuck that! I don't care about stupid ass rules like that."

"Typical. Are we going or not? He's your dad, not mine."

"Iruka's my _brother_, bastard. He's way too young to be my dad."

"He adopted you, same thing."

"It isn't the same-"

"Boys." Kakashi interrupted mildly. "Don't you think you should find Umino-san before he gets eaten by a Hollow? I can't imagine it would be very hard, considering his chakra."

"Piece of cake, Kakashi-sensei! I'll find him before Sasuke does, believe it!" And Naruto darted through the wall. Sasuke rolled red eyes at them before following.

Kisuke couldn't help it. He snickered.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I'd like to see you handle them." Kakashi sounded resigned and faintly amused.

"The famous Hatake Kakashi, a teacher! And," Urahara went on, lifting a finger in emphasis. "To not only a Junior Shinigami with too much energy and not enough skill, whose name happens to be _Uzumaki Naruto_, but also to an arrogant Uchiha and apparently a very traditional, female Quincy." Urahara waved his finger a little bit, before he dissolved into laughter. Kakashi relaxed a bit at the shoulders and laughed with him.

"I know. How do I get myself into these situations? Not only a sensei, but to _Naruto_, who just happens to fall head over heals for one of the last of the Quincy and pick up a boy who belongs to a family that's supposed to be a legend." He shook his head at himself and was silent as Kisuke wiped at the tears in his eyes. "So you can tell Sasuke is an Uchiha?"

"What do you take me for?" Urahara asked, trying to sound offended. He couldn't quite manage while he was still grinning. "Uchiha may be legends for most Soul Reapers, but I'm older than you, Hatake, and I was a Captain for most of that time. I was there when the legend was created."

"Hmm." Kakashi nodded in contemplation. Kisuke snickered again. "What?" The silver haired man asked, exasperated.

"Hatake Kakashi: Shinigami, former Anbu operative, Soul Society patriot, legend, and _sensei_."

"Kisuke, if you don't stop laughing I'm going to put my sword through your chest." Urahara laughed harder, ignoring his former student, and managed to forget the weakness in his limbs, his sleeping comrades upstairs, and the weak space downstairs where a portal had existed not too long ago. "_Kisuke_."

"I seem to- remember a- a vow," Urahara managed. " 'Kisuke-sensei, I swear that I will never be anything like you.' "

"I did _not_ sound like that."

Kisuke laughed with a man he could call friend, and felt the worry and fear of what was happening and what he'd done melt away in the moment.

"So- so you say."

"Kisuke, I _didn't_ sound like that."

* * *

In this universe, I've created Anbu Shinigami. They're hunters, designed specifically for tracking down Hollows. They wear white bone masks over their faces like the ones Hollows have. Only a certain kind of Soul Reaper can become Anbu. They have to have been human and become Shinigami unaided, and struggled with not becoming a Hollow – hence the masks, which are natural to those few. These Soul Reapers are simply a different kind, whether they become Anbu or not. The masks are part of them, always with them, but they can tie them to their belt or around their neck and make them invisible to others. And yeah, that's not Bleach cannon, but it's only a reference in the story so that can be ignored if it bothers you. Also, with those criteria in mind, Ichigo would qualify for Anbu. (Except that's past the concept of 'not Bleach cannon' and closer to 'alternate universe Bleach.')

The Uchiha legend and what exactly Sasuke is – well, I have several ideas for that, but I'm going to leave it up to your imagination. The only thing I want to include is that whatever Sasuke is, it's the result of a family curse.

Junior Shinigami are humans with the potential to become Soul Reapers that are taken under the wing of a Shinigami sensei. They're taught how to be one, the spells, exposed to the world, and work on creating their sword partner – basically everything they would have learned as the Soul Reaper Academy. They start training at twelve and are considered graduated at twenty. Juniors can become spectral on command, shedding their flesh but without leaving their body behind like Ichigo does, and they can do it unaided. This is what separates Ichigo from a normal Shinigami in training. How Urahara knew that Naruto was 'a Junior Shinigami with too much energy and not enough skill' was because he could feel Naruto's energy, and Naruto's inability to create his sword partner on his own gave credit to his (non-existent) skill set.

Also, concerning the use of chakra, soul/spirit energy, or spiritual pressure: I guess you could look at 'chakra' as slang or an alternate term or something. I just felt like putting it in there like that. And the way the Anime uses the term 'spiritual pressure' really bugs me. (I'm not sure about the Manga, haven't gotten that far yet. Manga costs money. Anime is aired on TV. You do the math.)

A/N 05/24/08: I fully realize now that my concept of Anbu Shinigami have been made _very_ AU by the progression of the Anime storyline. Whatever. Do what you will.

Sorry my notes are as long as my story. Maybe I'll get another one from this universe in here. —TS


	2. Hikaru no Go

_He'd played Akira Touya before._

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ or _Hikaru no Go_ and I am not making any sort of profit by writing and posting this story.

Warning(s): Language. (It's Sasuke. What else?)

* * *

He'd played Akira Touya before. They were almost-friends, actually, and he was just as famous in Go circles, even if he wasn't quite as respected. Being an Uchiha did that, especially if your estranged older brother was the most infamous cheater of all time. Itachi had been what, a 7-dan? He didn't remember. Sasuke himself would be an Insei now and not playing in some middle school tournament if his foster parents weren't so anal. Except that, if he were an Insei, he'd have never joined Konoha's Go club.

And if he'd never done that, then he never would have met Naruto.

Naruto, who was standing there with his mouth open like a fish, staring at something over his opponents left shoulder and not at the impossibility that was his Go board. Shindou had _started_ out sloppy, sure, but when it became obvious he was loosing he'd paused, stared at the board like he wasn't seeing it, and then placed a stone with a _–ting–_ that changed the tide of the game.

He'd thought Akira was loosing it. Shindou was nothing, and he certainly shouldn't be enough to beat the son of a Meijin. But he could see it, now, what Akira had meant. _His eyes,_ he'd tried to explain uselessly. _You could see it in his eyes._ Sasuke paused, wasting precious seconds to glance up, hoping to glimpse the thing that had sparked fire in his fellow for the first time in years.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. _His eyes, eyes just like–_ Sasuke glanced to the right where Naruto was hanging over their game, upset that Kiba had his spot in the top three.

_Eyes like Naruto's._

Sasuke placed his next stone with greater resolve. In the moves that followed, something else occurred to him. This was like playing Kakashi-sensei. It was like playing Kakashi _fucking_ Hatake, the private tutor from hell, after a handicapped start. And that made him angry.

"I resign." Sasuke heard from his left, and didn't bother looking over when he knew Shikamaru had won.

"Still playing, Sasuke?" Their Captain asked lazily, before glancing at the board. He pulled up short. _Fuck yeah. I'd like to see you try playing this guy._ Sasuke placed another stone, and another, and another, and the game spiraled on.

"Ha! Wait 'till Sakura-chan hears her Sasuke-kun got beat in one of our 'stupid tournaments'."

"Shut up, dobe."

"Teme!"

"Naruto," Iruka-sensei chided. "Now is _not_ the time."

"Sasuke," Shikamaru interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "End this."

Sasuke knew what Shikamaru wanted him to do. He almost didn't want to think it was necessary, but he knew it was if he wanted to win against this boy. Still, Sasuke avoided using it too often, incase somebody figured it out. It wasn't an outrageous thought; Kakashi had learned it from years of watching Uncle Obito play, even if he didn't get it quite right sometimes. And really, what did it matter if they lost this tournament? He didn't care, and protecting his family oseki came before his pride. Except that, well, _Naruto _cared – a lot. And it wasn't like there was anybody videotaping this.

Besides, he needed to use the Sharingan if he wanted to learn the Mangenkyou.

–_ting–_

Sasuke slammed his hand down on the timer and stared challengingly at Shindou. _Take that. My Sharingan oseki will win me this._ He'd never dreamed of using it in one of these stupid middle school tournaments, but then he'd never thought he'd find a potential like Naruto or a genius like Shikamaru in some nobody Go club either. When Shindou met his gaze, Sasuke was ready for those eyes. He wasn't ready for the counter move.

With a disbelieving gaze, Sasuke tried to find a different route. There was none. He looked to see if he could use Chidori, but that had been out of the question a long time and he knew it. He could try the Mangenkyou, but on top of still learning it he had to have the Sharingan in place first to build off of.

So this was it. He'd lost. Naruto was never going to let him forget it, that's for sure.

"I resign." Sasuke stood without thanking Shindou for the game, and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait, what the hell? You can't quit!" Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. Sasuke swung with the momentum and punched him.

"I'm not you." Sasuke threw at the stunned boy on the ground, viciously. "I don't stick out hopeless games to the end trying to get one more chance to win, like some moron. Look at that board. When you figure out a way I could have won, then talk to me about not quitting."

As he stalked out of the room – not caring to see if Kiba won them the tournament or not and trying to ignore Sakura's green eyes burning into his back from where she was playing across the room – his eyes landed on his gray-haired tutor standing at the door. Sasuke couldn't figure out if the man looked grave or amused, and decided it didn't matter. He barked out 'Not a word' as he stalked past. He wasn't going to talk to anyone at the moment.

He'd waited too long. That was it. If he'd used the Sharingan sooner, Shindou wouldn't have been able to cut him off. Next time, he wouldn't make that mistake. No matter how bad the opponent seemed at first. Whether they were giving him a handicap or they just suddenly . . . got . . . better . . . in the middle of a game . . . _shit!_

Naruto _had_ been staring at empty space over the boy's shoulder, as if someone was there. Just like he had when they'd first met Gaara. And because of Gaara, Sasuke knew that there was more then one Go Spirit – as he'd come to call them – out there. Naruto had never told him, specifically, about Hinote no Kitsune, or Kyuubi as he had been called in ancient times, but Sasuke had figured it out on his own.

The fox-like spirit/Go master had been with Naruto since before he'd met Sasuke, as far as he could tell, but Naruto rarely relied on his help. Only in cases where it was important he win, and then Naruto would call for help that nobody could see or hear. Sasuke had seen Naruto play people where the blonde would start out normal, weak even, and suddenly become fierce and talented right when it seemed like he would loose. Just like Gaara. Just like _Shindou_.

_The fucking cheat!_

Sasuke spun on the spot and started back towards the tournament room, before catching hold of his anger and re-inserting logic into his thought process. It was one thing to lay out Naruto. It was entirely another to hit an opposing club member. Iruka-sensei would have no choice but to kick him off the team. After a few moments of indecision, Sasuke settled on beating the kid up if he ever saw him again.

Now he just had to figure out how to explain Go Spirits to Akira. Ah, sweet revenge.


	3. Fullmetal Alchemist

_It nearly broke Kakashi's heart when he realized who the boy was._

* * *

The history of this universe is that, after Fullmetal Alchemist the anime (not manga, which is a whole different can of worms) ended, the military dictator-esque government was dissolved and a Council of multiple civilian leaders was set up, with a separate position for a military leader called Commander General, abbreviated to Commander, that held a seat on the Council and as the highest ranking officer. To become a State Alchemist it is required that the Alchemist train under/apprentice themselves to a certified State Alchemist for a period of at least a year or until the teacher recommends them before they can take the exam. They can sign up for this apprenticeship, but most of the time the students are invited through State and Council selection.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Fullmetal Alchemist_ and am not making any profit by writing and posting this story.

* * *

It nearly broke Kakashi's heart when he realized who the boy was. And then he seriously considered sacrificing his body to bring the bastards who had done this back to life, to have the opportunity to kill them again with his own hands. Maybe he'd ask them how they'd done it while he was at it, incase there was something he really should know about the boy's physiology – because for goodness sake, a Chimera who can do alchemy has got to have some Trojan horses in their DNA.

The Commander kept an eye on the boy, of course. The only eye he had, actually, which served well enough. Kakashi trusted Mustang to look after him, especially with how the two were connected. Kakashi still tried to convince the man that Edward's death wasn't his fault, and Roy still tried to convince Kakashi it wasn't his. Neither man had much success.

But the Chimera boy who could use alchemy (Edward's son, as he'd discovered. Kakashi wondered if Roy hadn't told him who his charge was on purpose, or if he just didn't want to talk about it.) had touched his heart. He was fun-loving and protective and had the potential to become great, and he held Kakashi as one of his precious people when he'd done anything but deserve it.

Kakashi couldn't quite wish that Mustang had put the boy under someone else's tutelage.

"Naruto, you _idiot_."

The other two, well, that was another story. Kakashi spent every second that he trained the brats wishing he wasn't where he was. He wished the girl wasn't so god-damned smart so that she wouldn't have to be here in the first place. He wished that the dark-haired boy with the haunted eyes hadn't listened to his arrogance and attempted Human Transmutation. Most of all, he wished that if his first two wishes were unanswerable, that he'd have never taken the job of Sensei for potential future State Alchemists in the first place.

Yeah, right. He'd been conned into that by Head Councilman Sarutobi himself – he hadn't stood a chance.

"I'm not an idiot, bastard!"

"Naruto, don't call Sasuke a bastard!"

"But Sakura, he started it!"

"Maybe the two of you should just kiss and make up." By the faces they made and the disturbingly green color their skin turned, Kakashi figured he'd gotten through to them. "Now then, you have no cause to be fighting. Do you want to know why?" Kakashi smiled gleefully and didn't bother to wait for an answer, he just pointed down at the table where the array they were bickering over was drawn out. "You're both wrong."

Funny. They all looked like they'd swallowed something sour.

Kakashi tried not to grin in amusement, and decided that now was the perfect time to leave his students hanging. Maybe their joint hate of him would prod them towards teamwork and they would work together to figure out the array he'd drawn.

Kakashi teleported away. Then he sighed at himself. He needed to stop reading romance novels, if he was starting to think like that. Those kids'll never have a happy ending.

He didn't realize until later the painful truth of his own thoughts.


	4. Prince of Tennis

_They were unseated, which served Neji just fine._

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ or _Prince of Tennis_ and I am not making any sort of profit by writing and posting this story.

Warning(s): None

* * *

They were unseated, which served Neji just fine. It was better if your opponent underestimated you. Though, as Naruto had put it, being unseated meant you made a bigger splash when you blew the seated teams out of the water. Neji disapproved of such a point of view.

Lee found it hilarious.

Neji sat himself out the first round, as team captain. They didn't have a coach yet, unfortunately, but Shikamaru was a damned tactical genius, and Neji was no slouch himself. He'd been worried, for a while, that not having a coach would be detrimental to their newly formed team. Seeing them in action had put a stop to those thoughts, of course. They were perfect. Lee still kept going on and on about the wonder of finding such a strong team right off, when Konoha Middle School hadn't had any sort of tennis program for something close to thirteen years.

Neji had been extremely pleased to find underground/street players right in his own class. He'd had no idea Tenten could play. Though unfortunately for Tenten, they hadn't found enough female players to form a team. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata may be good, but four wasn't the standard number for tennis teams.

Neji himself had been amazed at the unknowns he'd found. Not just good players, serious competitors. Shikamaru with his lazy yet genius style, Chouji with that top spin shot that you just couldn't return, Kiba with his specialty backhand, Shino who returned every ball like there were eyes in the back of his head, Lee with his stupid martial arts shots, Sasuke with his photographic memory, and Naruto with that hit that spun weird and seemed like it was in five places at once.

Neji had decided when he first looked at his team lined up and ready for practice that they were going to enter tournaments _this_ year, and not the next. Who cared if the captain was just an eight grader? Who cared if most everyone else on the team were seventh graders? They were going to kick ass this year – make waves, whatever – and next year they were going to win.

For the first round they played Juuben Middle. Shikamaru asked to play second doubles with Chouji. Neji consented, and placed Kiba and Shino in first doubles. Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee played singles in that order: third, second, and first.

It was a relatively easy match in Neji's opinion. They won most of them six to love, and no one had to use any specialty shots. He was pleased to hear that rumors of them were spreading. The next game they played had many more spectators. This they won with six-love across the board. Neji figured that might be because he sat Naruto out.

Their third was much more difficult. Oto Middle was also unseated, but they were damn strong. Neji figured that their underestimation of the team cost them a lot when it came down to it. Shikamaru and Chouji played doubles again, and they went up against Kinuta Dosu and Abumi Zaku. That was a hard match. Shikamaru actually had to _move_ and Chouji used his _Meat Tank_ shot just about every third hit. It didn't help that Dosu was a powerhouse and Zaku was a speed demon, and they both had this shot that sort of whistled through the air and hurt your ears.

Shikamaru and Chouji lost the set 6-3. When they sat down, Chouji was holding his arm like it pained him and Shikamaru was panting. Neji didn't swear, because he was Captain and couldn't show emotion, but he did feel like it. He stepped up next, playing first doubles with Lee, and hoped like hell that Naruto, Shino, and Kiba could pull off singles.

They played a pair of brothers, twins probably, named Sakon and Ukon. Neji counts that match as one of his top five hardest to win. But win it they did, barely, at 7-5. He had to use his insight the entire match, working his brain into overdrive analyzing the opponents' body language and facial expressions, and then he had to strain muscles so that every shot was absolutely perfect and exactly where it needed to be. Lee used so many of his various martial arts shots that Neji had lost count, and that was saying something.

There was, however, an upside to this. Neji almost kicked himself even thinking that, wanting to kill Lee for infecting him with optimism, but through the course of the match, he and Lee had finally established the trust they had been lacking. Lee had trusted his coded directions, and Neji had trusted Lee to get what he couldn't, to be the strength and speed to his skill and precision. Lee had felt it too. He wouldn't, unfortunately, stop proclaiming the beauty of it. When he glanced at Tenten trough the fence, she was smiling.

Sasuke was actually visibly upset that he was sitting. He kept doing that thing with the tennis ball in his left hand; something Neji had been having trouble categorizing, unsure weather it was a nervous habit or some sort of exercise. But Naruto was up next, and Sasuke turned his focus back to the match.

Naruto lost, and badly. Shino after him won, and Kiba lost the last set. The Konoha Tennis Team went home after loosing their match against Oto. They trained hard for several weeks, entered the next tournament, and lost at the onset to Kaze Middle.

Lee had to spend a week in the hospital.

Neji decided they needed a coach, and fast. Vice Principle Tsunade stepped up, (Neji didn't even bother feeling surprised – by that time he'd pretty much accepted that weird things were going to happen where Konoha Middle and tennis were concerned) and then promptly recruited some old students of hers to help out. She split them up into pairs and assigned them an assistant coach to train under. Unfortunately for Neji, he found himself stuck with Lee's dad. Neji suddenly understood where his friend got his, ah, _enthusiasm_. Gai-sensei was a trip.

The next tournament they entered was a major one. It had both Oto and Kaze on the roster, as well as Seigaku in (of course) the number one seat. They played Oto first. Sasuke looked about to punch Tsunade when he was put on doubles with Shikamaru against Dosu and Zaku. Sasuke hated doubles with a passion.

Shika and Sasuke murdered their Oto opponents with a six to love score. Kiba and Shino lost to Sakon and Ukon 6-3, but Chouji beat Jirobo 6-4. Naruto faced Kimimaro, the team Captain, and Neji heard Tsunade cursing about Captains in second seat when they should be in first. Shikamaru figures they did it to garentee a win, which they succeeded at, considering Naruto lost 7-5. They were all proud with how well he did anyway, fighting until the very last, and Tsunade could be seen giving him praise.

Neji himself faced Kidoumaru and won 6-love. They move on to the next match with high spirits and deep worries, because their next opponent was Kaze Middle, and they fell to them badly last time.

Neji overheared Tenten telling Lee that Tsunade received several requests from the team to play Gaara in honor of him, including Neji. Neji wondered if it was for honor or revenge with the other, because it's the latter for him. He figured it's probably honor for Naruto and Chouji, but Kiba and Sasuke were both in it for revenge like he was, Neji's sure.

In the end, it's Sasuke Tsunade picked to face Gaara. Naruto couldn't seem to decide whether he was angry he didn't get it or worried because his best friend did. Naruto settled on a little of both and expressed his worry by shouting angrily at Sasuke about Lee's broken wrist and arm. It's a heart-pounding, dangerous set, and Sasuke stayed ahead by using his speed and that memory of his to copy Gaara's shots, and won using some sort of ace left-handed serve he apparently learned from Kakashi. Neji almost couldn't believe they'd done it.

They made it to the finals. There's a semi-finals match playing, but Coach Tsunade demanded they all get some rest. Neji ignored her, of course, and went to watch Seigaku play Kio. Sasuke was already there, and Shikamaru gets dragged over by Ino five minutes later with a lecture about the duties of a Vice Captain. The three of them watch, and memorize, and calculate.

There was a half an hour break between the end of the Seigaku match and the start of the finals. Neji gathered the team together and goes over what they know. Shino wasn't there, and he didn't show up until after the team meet was over. Apparently, he'd been spying on Seigaku.

Neji was disturbed by what he's told, and wondered if this Sadaharu Inui character has an IQ higher than Shikamaru's. He had to warn Sasuke that the enemy was anticipating his _Chidori_ serve even though he'd only used it once in the entire tournament, Shikamaru that they knew he forced his opponent to hit the ball so it was returned right to him, Chouji that his _Meat Tank_ hit was going to be useless, Kiba that his opponents plan to never give him the opportunity to hit the ball backhanded, and Naruto that Seigaku wasn't fooled in the least into thinking he was a weak player.

He was happy to know that, thankfully, Naruto had yet to use his multi-hit and that Sasuke had been working on a variation of the _Chidori_ with Kakashi. He hoped Shikamaru had enough time to adjust his game with Chouji to throw his opponents off, and he knew that Shino would create an opportunity for Kiba to use his backhand. For himself though, well, they'd see.

* * *

Neji wonders if it's destiny.

He's in ninth grade and Captain of Konoha Middle School's boys tennis team, though he's not sure that he's entitled to that spot when Naruto beat him in the placement tournament. He pulled his team through their first year as rookies to organized tennis, and led them through their second year to the Nationals Qualifying Tournament. He picked up the pieces when Naruto blew up over Sasuke playing for Orochimaru, Oto's Coach, in underground matches. He stood at Lee's side through every step of his rehabilitation, and watched in utter amazement as he regained his ability to play tennis.

Neji wonders if it's destiny that he became Captain to this team. Then he wonders if maybe it's not destiny. Nothing is inevitable, Naruto taught him that. But still, here they were – facing Seigaku again. Full circle. Destiny.

But destiny can be flexible, Neji knows now. Full circle doesn't necessarily mean that they'll lose again. It's been over a year, and his team has come a very long way. Shikamaru has learned to put his genius to use with more than manipulation, Chouji can hit his _Meat Tank_ backhanded and overhead now as well, Kiba's speed has doubled and he can play a match without breaking a sweat, Shino sabotages his opponents better even than Shikamaru, Lee's hits are somehow ten times stronger, Sasuke can use _Chidori_ as a hit as well as a serve when he uses _two sword_ style, and Naruto pulled a forehand curveball called _Rasengan_ seemingly out of thin air.

And it doesn't matter that Seigaku has a new player everyone is whispering about, the seventh grader professional's son that beat out Sadaharu Inui in their placements and who Shikamaru said reminds him of Sasuke. It doesn't matter that there are rumors of Seigaku's Captain being injured, or that Tsunade plans to have he and Lee play doubles and Naruto in the top three with Sasuke and Shikamaru, breaking up the Chouji-Shika duo that has worked so well. None of that matters for one very simple reason.

This time around, Neji knows, they'll win.


	5. Rurouni Kenshin

_"Where is your Okashira, boy?" Aoshi asked from the shadow of the dojo's engawa when Kenshin and the ninja boy he fought parted once more, Kenshin somehow the worse for wear._

* * *

Here, Sasuke has defected to Orochimaru. Naruto and Sakura are Konoha ninja, their Okashira is Tsunade. The _Rurouni Kenshin_ universe supports the theory of multiple ninja clans sometime late in the series, after the Shishio arc, which is when this is set in the RK 'verse. Sasuke might be a tad out of character. Not sure, because I haven't gotten a handle on post-time gap Sasuke yet. (Which is where this is 'set' in the pseudo-Naruto timeline of this universe.)

Disclaimer: I do not own _Rurouni Kenshin_ and am not making any profit by writing and posting this story.

Warning(s): Oniwabanshu spoilers for the Shishio arc. Slight Sanosuke spoilers, concerning things he learned during the Shishio arc. Also, formal speech. (What? It's RK!)

* * *

He recognized the style; the balance, the movements, the weapons. The boy's kisangani clashed with his sakabatou in short bursts, pulling out of reach often and trying to ensnare him with wire or strike him with shuriken. Once he'd caught Kenshin by surprise with a kunai, in a brief moment when their swords were locked, just as Aoshi had surprised him with a kick so long ago. The weapon buried itself less than an inch from one of those spots Kenshin knew to be fatal, and the wound bled profusely when they pulled apart and the child took the kunai with him instead of leaving it. Kenshin recognized the basics of a shinobi fighting style and knew: it was a shinobi that he was fighting, regardless of the boy's age. And it seemed Kenshin wasn't the only one to recognize the ninja-child for what he was.

"Where is your Okashira, boy?" Aoshi asked from the shadow of the dojo's engawa when the two parted once more, Kenshin somehow the worse for wear.

"Okashira?" The boy laughed, a mocking but genuine sound that broke his stoicism. "I wouldn't call him my Okashira, even if he wished it. And I wouldn't give you the name of my Okashira if I had one, Shinomori Aoshi. Do you think me that young and stupid, to be ignorant of the fact that such information could be the death of me, in hands like yours? Then you are a fool."

"Who do you serve then, if not an Okashira?" Kenshin shifted to a more solid stance and waited. He had yet to ask the boy's name, but even if he did, Kenshin doubted it would be given.

"One who wishes to extend an offer to the Hitokiri _Battousai_." The boy raised the kunai he'd stabbed Kenshin with, as if in example, and moonlight glinted off what little of the blade wasn't covered in blood. "'Come to me, and I will give you power beyond anything you know.'" Then, in a motion swifter than Kenshin had thought the boy capable of, he threw the kunai to his left where it imbedded itself in the Kamiya Dojo's door almost up to the hilt. " 'Fight me, and you die.' "

"And what if this one does not wish to do either?"

"There are others whom he could approach in your stead. A promising young fighter who lives down on ruffian row. I hear he can disintegrate stone with a single punch. A very useful technique – one I'm sure the man I serve would be very happy to have at his disposal. Of course, he may need some convincing. My information says this fighter has a friend who's into some illegal business. It would be unfortunate if the police were informed of that man's activities." Kenshin narrowed his eyes at his opponent. He couldn't shake the feeling that the young shinobi was _enjoying_ extorting him, even though his ki could not be sensed and his face was unreadable. It could have been the tone of his words, but regardless, Kenshin knew the boy-ninja's threats were not empty – not with such anticipation behind them.

"You will leave Sano out of this, that you will." Kenshin left no room for misunderstanding in his words, ki, or tone.

"Oh?" The boy's lips curled upward in a mocking smile and his eyes glinted in the moonlight, red hued as a demon's, or perhaps the Battousai's own amber. "Then I expect your answer to be the right one. You have three days. If that kunai is still there when the time has passed, I assume you pledge your blade." The smile on his face disappeared, but instead of returning to unreadable, his expression became serious. "I also expect Sagara and his slippery friend will not leave Tokyo any time soon, otherwise the outcome of our second meeting will _not_ be pleasant." He spoke the last threat as a promise, from one swordsman to another. The boy wiped the blood off of his sword and sheathed it, seemingly without a care to the threat of Kenshin's own naked steel, and dropped the rice paper cloth on the ground instead of tucking it back into his pocket. He slanted a looked at Aoshi, and Kenshin was sure now that his eyes were red. _Eyes like a demon_, the wind whispered to him in echoes of the past. Eyes of a killer.

_No. Eyes of a Hitokiri._

Kenshin understood now why his own unnaturally colored eyes had struck fear into so many. They said something about the soul, eyes like those. Like his. They were eyes that showed a person their death – no matter if they were red or amber.

"And you. Shinomori." Kenshin shifted to the side a bit, to cover the former ninja. Aoshi was still quick and skilled without his blades, and the man could hardly manage to make noise when he walked like normal people did instead of being silent as a shinobi, but Kenshin had fought the boy. He was fast, terribly fast – and he was holding back. Kenshin himself was unsure of who would have the greater speed, if they were both to cut loose. Their styles were so different that it would hardly matter in the end, though to whose end Kenshin was unsure.

As he moved, careful to watch the boy watching him, he realized Misao was just inside the door on Aoshi's other side, ki soft and flowing as if asleep, though he could almost feel the sharp tang of metal and knew it was a ruse. She was aware, most likely partially meditating to create the illusion of her ki, and she was armed. Protecting, observing, from the shadows. Kenshin almost couldn't believe it. With Aoshi involved, he would expect her to be brazen in her protection. But no, the small girl he knew had grown up into a young woman, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu. He was proud to call her friend, ally, and even happier that she and Aoshi were visiting now, as this ninja-child of unknown origin appeared at their dojo with demands of allegiance from an even more unknown and shady figure.

"This affair is no business of the Oniwabanshu. You can tell your Okashira that. She is not to interfere, unless she wishes war." The shinobi's expression was once again unreadable, his tone flat. "I will tell you that it was a great pity to loose skill such as yours. I would have enjoyed fighting you, before. However, the man I represent cares little for those who wield sword and shadow and break from it. I care not at all." Red eyes flared, fire-bright, and lips pulled back to reveal teeth in a parody of a smile. "Disgraceful. If you can not hold a blade again without going mad, then you should take your kodachi with you to your knees."

"That is _enough_!" Kenshin told him sharply, appalled by harsh words and what they were suggesting. He was only a _boy_, no older than Yahiko. And yet he fought like Shinomori Aoshi and had the eyes of a Hitokiri, and the words falling from his lips –threats and ill suggestions– were with knowledge and glee.

This was no child.

The intruder laughed, quietly. He fingered the hilt of his blade and rolled up onto the balls of his feet. "Three days, Himura Kenshin, Hitokiri Battousai. Don't forget." And then he bent his knees and was gone, Kenshin's eyes almost sliding off of him as he jumped over the dojo wall and then into the trees. He was out of sight in moments.

Kenshin sighed.

Somehow it always seemed to surprise him when he stumbled upon situations like this, or when they stumbled upon him. He should be used to such things by now.

* * *

Sasuke's reference to Aoshi being on his knees, that's in reference to seppuku. Samurai committed ritual suicide on their knees. Sasuke is saying that it's a disgrace that Aoshi went mad with grief and had to give up being a ninja, and he should kill himself because of that. This also hints that maybe the Sasuke of this story has Samurai ancestry, because ninja are hardly bound – like Samurai are – to kill themselves once disgraced, in an attempt to regain their honor. **(Kakashi Spoilers:** This historical fact is also why I believe that Kakashi's father was disgraced in death after committing seppuku, even though ritual suicide is supposed to regain the honor of the disgraced. Such rituals only applied to Samurai, and didn't to ninja, and thus a ninja society would react much differently. **End of Spoilers.)** So Sasuke could hardly expect Aoshi to follow Samurai code when he's a ninja, which makes it very strange that he would suggest it. Am I sparking ideas yet? And _jeeze_. That sounds like a review of my own work.

TS


End file.
